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And being self-professed "girlie-girls," that was quite an
accomplishment. Both are a bit embarrassed to admit they were
wearing high heels while painting the walls.
Becoming construction workers brought with it a lot of broken
fingernails, Beardsley says.
"We both went to have manicures afterward and said, 'Fix these
nails and turn us back into girls!'" she said with a laugh.
Urban Exchange is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day but
Contact staff writer John Hall at (951) 676-4315, Ext. 2628, or
To comment on this article, go to www.californian.com.
Urban Exchange is located at 27314 Jefferson Ave., Suite 4,
Temecula, between Stadium Pizza and Temecula Trophy.
The store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day but
For more information, call (951) 296-9243.


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OPPO To Pay Nokia After Licensing Deal Was Signed
In a rather shocking news, it seems that Nokia has signed a patent licensing deal with OPPO.
Nokia Signs Patent Deal With OPPO
The deal will see OPPO to make payments to the Finnish based smartphone company in a multi-year license period.
OPPO is one of the leaders in the smartphone industry and we are pleased to welcome them as a Nokia licensee. This agreement further validates our global licensing program Nokia Chief Legal Officer and President of Nokia Technologies, Maria Varsellona
Despite the deal, the terms of the agreement remain confidential between the two parties. Though with it, it will improve Nokia’s financial results and positively affect the balance sheet of the whole group, as money gained from patents is usually profit.
Nokia has invested a vast amount of money in terms of R&D in the last 20 years, and after selling their Distribution and Storage business to Microsoft, they engage in a more aggressive licensing policy to maximize their investment returns.
Pokdepinion: I wonder what the deal could mean in the future. Could OPPO really implement something from Nokia’s end?

domain: news


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Kingdom Hearts II Articles for PS2On: PS2
A round-up of the juiciest rumours being talked about across the internet.
Series producer vows next installment will be top notch too.
Square Enix and Disney's Kingdom Hearts II: Final Mix is on its way to North America.
Amongst a list of established franchises, it's Gears of War which stands out in the top sellers list for 2006.
FIFA 07 nets its first goal of the season, entering at the top of the All Formats chart.
The upcoming PAL release of Kingdom Hearts II will be released in 50Hz, but will run borderless and at full speed.
Square Enix has announced that Kingdom Hearts II will be released in Europe on September 29.


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Friday was a big day in the history of fashion. One of the most iconic designers and his label celebrated their 50th anniversary. Yes, we’re talking about the all-American fashion guru Ralph Lauren, who’s been taking care of your style for half a century. This is such a huge milestone, that the designer decided to celebrate it in the most opulent possible way.
The Oscars of Fashion, the CFDA Awards took place last night honoring the biggest American talents. The Council of Fashion Designers of America opted for a new location this year, the Brooklyn Museum. Issa Rae hosted the celebrity-packed event that included everyone from Kendall Jenner and Kaia Gerber to Lupita Nyong’o and Cate Blanchett.
Speaking of the awards, pre-announced honourees included Diane von Furstenberg, who won the Swarovski Award for Positive Change; Carolina Herrera, who was presented with the Founder’s Award in honour of Eleanor Lambert; Narciso Rodriguez, who took home the Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award; Donatella Versace, who was honored with the International Award; Naomi Campbell, who was recognized as the CFDA’s Fashion Icon; Edward Enninful, who received the Media Award; and Ralph Lauren who was presented with the CFDA’s first ever Members Salute Award.
Naomi Campbell delivered one of the most emotional speeches of the night:
“I was told many times that I couldn’t do certain things because of the color of my skin. I let it drive me. And of course I’m human, and I found it hard at times not to take it personally. But I stand here today as a proud woman of color, and I will continue to push for diversity and equality in this industry,’ the supermodel told the audience.
The main part of the event included A-list presenters who handed the top prizes to the brightest talents in American fashion. The award of Womenswear Designer of The Year went in the hands of Raf Simons of Calvin Klein for the second year in a row. James Jebbia of Supreme was awarded for best menswear designer and he had some interesting thoughts on the topic:
“I’ve never considered Supreme to be a fashion company or myself to be a designer, but I appreciate the recognition for what we do,” he said.
According to the CFDA, in the accessory game, famous twins Mary-Kate and Ashley Olen of The Row won. The Council of Fashion Designers of America decided to present the Swarovski Award for Emerging Talent to Sander Lak of Sies Marjan.
It seems that in 2018, the CFDA is finally giving some credit to influencers. The Council included a new award this year – The Influencer Award. This prize went into the hands of no other than Kim Kardashian. Ten years ago, the reality star was considered as famous for being famous without any particular talent. But now the CFDA is recognizing her achievements in the industry with The Influencer award. Kim herself seemed surprised:
“I’m kind of shocked I’m winning a fashion award when I’m naked most of the time,” she joked during her acceptance speech. “But this is seriously such an honor, so thank you to the CFDA for this award,” she finished.
Last year we had predictions that 2018 will be the year of fur-free fashion. We are always pleased to hear that more and more fashion labels say no to fur. Last week. Donatella Versace announced that she will no longer kill animals in the name of fashion. San Francisco will also join the no-fur movement starting from January 1. The city’s board of supervisors voted to ban the sale of fur, making San Francisco the largest city in the USA to do so. Every member of the board agreed that the city needs to stop selling fur items. The board hopes that this decision will inspire other cities in the country to follow their steps.
“This has been one of the things on their agenda, especially in San Francisco. We know that when we do things in San Francisco that a lot of times it will get attention nationally and globally. We also feel a big responsibility when we’re in a position like this because it could really make a huge impact,’ a spokesperson of the board of supervisors said in a statement.
After January 1, every retailer that sells apparel or accessories with new fur will be punished with $500 fine per violation. For example, if there are 5 items made of new fur, that will result in 5 violations. For those who have purchased fur to this date, there is a one-year amnesty on the fine. The fur ban in San Francisco is a follow-up to the anti-fur initiatives from other cities in the USA as well as other countries. West Hollywood was the first city in the USA to prohibit the sale of fur back in 2011. Berkeley did the same in 2017. Next, the U.K’s fur ban act “prohibits the keeping of animals solely or primarily for slaughter for the value of their fur”. Other countries that have banned fur farming include Australia and the Netherlands. The Netherlands also has plans to shot down mink farms by 2024. Norway has similar plans, expected to be fully realized by 2025. This country has also banned fur farms.
This year many fashion brands joined the anti-fur family. Besides Versace, Gucci, Diane von Furstenberg, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo said no to fur just recently. Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Tommy Hilfiger have been fur-free for years. Many nowadays customers, especially those who belong to the younger generations don’t support animal cruelty in fashion. Their ethical preferences together with the efforts of animal activists have made many brands to exclude fur from their offerings. It is revolutionary that even entire cities decided to join the anti-fur policy.
The countdown to the 2018 Winter Olympics has begun! We are 100 days away from the Winter Olympic Games that will take place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The event will start on February 9. The all American brand Polo Ralph Lauren has unveiled the official uniforms that Team USA will wear at the closing ceremony. To present the new uniforms Polo Ralph Lauren invited Olympians from the Team USA. The snowboarding gold medalist Jamie Anderson, freestyle skiing silver medalist Gus Kenworthy, and Olympian ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani modeled the official uniforms for the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Polo Ralph Lauren stayed true to its signature style when it comes to the new uniforms. The uniforms for the closing ceremony carry “traditional artisanal design references with modern fabrications in a patriotic spirit of red, white, and blue,’ according to Polo Ralph Lauren’s press release.
The Olympian Jamie Anderson presented a ski-inspired white water-repellent jacket with the brand’s logo, the country’s flag and Olympics logo patched on it. She also wore a 3-colored all-American sweater. On the picture of the Olympian Maia Shibutani, we can see the trousers. Simple navy ones with a red track on the sides and the brand’s logo on the front. Gus Kenworthy modeled the same outfit in men’s version.
To accessorize the looks Polo Ralph Lauren designed woolen mittens and a matching hat. The accessories feature winter motifs in blue, white and red. The American flag graces the front part of the hats. To finish off the closing ceremony uniforms, Polo Ralph Lauren designed matching suede boots with red laces.
Photo Credit: NBC Universal
Polo Ralph Lauren understands the style needs of the Team USA better than anyone else. The brand has been the official outfitter for the U.S team six times so far. So, the brand has perfected the sporty uniform for the closing ceremony. Once again Team USA will be perfectly stylish and extra warm in the final parade.
You don’t have to be an Olympian to get your hands on the gear. You can support the Team USA in the same uniform. The Team USA Collection will be available to purchase in December. The Olympic pieces will be available at select Ralph Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren stores. For those who prefer to shop online, the collection will also drop on RalphLauren.com and TeamUSAShop.com.
The millennial’s favorite brand Gucci has banned the use of fur. The decision applies to the Spring/Summer 2018 Collection. Gucci sells many fur items, so this is a huge step forward. The fur products are worth between $12-$14 million on annual basis. Among the most popular Gucci products that feature fur are the fur-lined loafers and their coats. Anyway, the brand has decided to replace all the real fur products with faux fur alternatives and new innovative fabrics.
Gucci has used fur a lot in the past. So the decision to ban it from their collections caught the world by surprise. Anyway, the animal rights activists warmly welcomed this decision. Gucci has been working with the Humane Society and LAV (an Italian-based animal welfare group) to join the fur-free alliance. Gucci’s CEO Marco Bizzarri made the announcement during the 2017 Kering Talk at the London College of Fashion.
The brand banned the fur because according to Bizzarri “It’s a little bit outdated. Creativity can jump in many different directions instead of using furs”. And millennials will love the fur-free Gucci. The young generations are much more ethically minded and aware. Gucci’s CEO was worried that youngsters wouldn’t consider the fashion house as a potential place to invest their talent because of the usage of fur. So this was another reason why Gucci is going fur-free.
The creative director Alessandro Michele also supports the decision. Even his most recent collection included fur, so this was a bit surprising. The designer explained that this decision is something that their customers were highly anticipating. So, he agrees that Gucci needed the fur-free concept.
Luckily, many luxury brands went fur-free lately. One of the first brands that became fur-free was Calvin Klein back in 1993. A conversation between Mr. Calvin Klein and activist of PETA (the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) convinced the designer to stop using fur in his collections. Ralph Lauren made the same decision in 2006. Tommy Hilfiger followed their example and became fur-free in 2007. One of the most pleasant surprises was the online luxury retailer Net-a-porter. The luxury fashion giant removed all the fur products from its website earlier this year. For years Stella McCartney focuses on sustainable ways of production without harming the environment or animals. The use of fur in fashion is still present, but at least there is a slow progress in the last decade.
Only Ralph Lauren can turn a garage into a runway venue. And only Ralph Lauren can bring the biggest A-listers to Bedford, which is an hour north from Manhattan to see the latest Ready-to-wear Fall 2017 collection. Well, Ralph Lauren garage is no ordinary garage. There the designer keeps his luxury and rare motor car collection, worth the GDP of a small country. The two-story hangar is a home to Lauren’s McClaren’s, Ferraris and Porches. The expensive cars served as a setting for the see-now, buy-now show.
Ralph Lauren isn’t afraid to make bold moves. During SS 2018 NYFW all of the designers showed their Spring 2018 collections. But Lauren presented his late Fall 2017 collection. Three seasons ago the designer adopted the see-now, buy-now concept. Many brands were scared off from Lauren’s instant fashion concept. It all started when Patrice Louvet stepped in the role of chief executive officer replacing Steven Larsson. Larsson left Ralph Lauren after the disagreement with the designer on how to arrange the collections in the competitive market.
The designer showed his men’s Purple Label and women’s collection together for the first time. Checks and plaids in neutral gray were the patterns of choice for the suits and other office-approved ensembles. Both collections were all about power dressing. The luxury sharply tailored Bond suits weren’t much different from the women’s tailored-to-perfection suits. The women’s power suits have confident cuts and radiate empowerment.
“The silhouettes are so strong and there’s such a sense of female empowerment in every look. It’s an intelligent femininity,” said Katie Holmes who showed up in dazzling wide-leg gold trousers. Katie’s outfit got an insane media attention, especially from the Twitter users.
Ralph Lauren paid tribute to his beloved luxury car collection with many of his Fall 2017 designs. The designer paired motocross jackets with formal pieces. The black leather was used to add an edgy vibe to the simple all-black outfits.
Somewhere towards the end of the show models in vibrant-hued pieces walked next to Lauren’s sports cars and the similarity was more than obvious. The designer used Ferrari-red color in a few statement pieces among which was the shiny corset tulle gown that Bella Hadid wore last night. Her bestie Kendall Jenner wore a similar style with a vibrant yellow upper part and intricate neckline.
Ralph Lauren’s show was a real spectacle. The designer celebrated his 50th anniversary in the best possible way. With his favorite VIP’s at the front row, long year muses on the runway and his impressive car collection that served as an inspiration for the fall 2017 collection.
Photo Credit: Indigital
The New York Fashion Week starts next week on September 7. This year there will be multiple changes predominantly in the schedule. Big names such as Altuzzara, Rodarte, Thom Browne, and Proenza Schouler decided to show their collections in Paris. Probably this was the reason why the NYFW will end one day earlier than usual. The last shows will happen on September 13.
During the NYFW designers will show their spring 2018 women’s collections. Some designers moved to Paris, but there are still many exciting names that will show their designs next week. Among the fashion houses that are returning this year to the NYFW are Tom Ford and Fenty x Puma by Rihanna. Both shows are expected to have a high-profile audience full of celebrities and influencers. There are also some designers who will show at NYFW for the first time. The cool streetwear label Daisy approved by Kim Kardashian West is on the schedule for this year. Next, Matthew Adams Dolan, Rihanna’s go-to denim designer will also make his debut on the NYFW. Other new names include Snow Xue Gao, Lou Dallas and Barragan and LRS. The plus-size clothing brand Addition Elle will also be part of the NYFW for the first time ever. Models such as Ashley Graham and Jordyn Woods will walk the runway for the brand. This is expected to be the most body-positive NYFW so far.
Another change this year is the location. Rumor has it that Brooklyn will be the center of the fashion events this year. Some of the brands already confirmed their locations in Brooklyn. Additionally, some designers choose out of town locations. Ralph Lauren, for example, will show his collection 46.1 miles from One World Trade Center. The designer will present Spring 2018 designs in his garage in Bedford. More designers are leaving the runway concept and opt for a more intimate atmosphere. This way, the audience has a closer look at the designs. Designers, on the other hand, get an opportunity to connect with the audience on a more personal level. This year Narciso Rodriguez and Rag and Bone will show the collections in their ateliers.
The NYFW has many new faces this year. The most popular one is Kaia Gerber, the 16-year-old daughter of the former supermodel Cindy Crawford. Kaia is the new face of the Daisy perfume by Marc Jacobs. Therefore, we should expect the model to make her debut at the NYFW on the Marc Jacobs’ show.
There are also many fashion films this year and upgraded in-between show snacks. Movies, snacks, and fashion seem like a perfect idea to spend the week.
Ralph Lauren, one of America’s most iconic fashion houses, has just unveiled its spring/summer 2017 ready-to-wear collection at 888 Madison Avenue, New York, with all of the staples being already available for purchase at RalphLauren.com.
This was, in fact, Ralph Lauren’s second take on the acclaimed see-now-buy-now-formula, which was overall positively received for the Ralph Lauren fall/winter 2017 collection. Although united through the same strategy, the two lines present two big differences.
First of all, the current Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2017 rtw line-up was all about Ralph Lauren’s luxurious taste, which inevitably reminded us of the fashion house’s opulent legacy from the Nineties. The autumnal season, on the other hand, presented an overall “model off-duty’ kind of aesthetic that was more wearable on a daily basis. Secondly, the two lines were showcased in two different historical moments.
This collection comes after Ralph Lauren’s decision to dress first lady Melania Trump for the Inauguration Day, a choice some people did not approve (although others saw it as an act of fairness, given the fact that Ralph Lauren was very vocal about his support for Hillary Clinton and created the looks she wore during her campaign). That being said, it will be extremely interesting to see whether such a choice will actually have any kind of repercussion on the sales of this see-now-buy-now collection.
Strategies, politics and marketing aside, the Ralph Lauren spring/summer 2017 collection was particularly appealing fashion-wise, with most of the staples exuding a sense of quietness and elegance that was inspired by the desert and its sandy landscapes.
While creating the pieces, American fashion designer Ralph Lauren managed to translate every kind of feeling, daydream and sound that one gets while thinking about Sahara Desert, with even the oasis being figuratively transposed to fashion. For these reasons, the collection’s color palette and the fabric’s textures were the elements Lauren emphasized most, with the former being all about ochres, beiges and sunburned shades, and the latter featuring an otherworldly array of textures that, when not opaque, shone like mirages thanks to their sleek accents.
And appealing surely were the kind of figures, silhouettes and cuts he chose to accentuate throughout the line-up, as they were still coherently anchored to the desert theme. Relaxed and with a style that could be described as the perfect bond between loungewear and utilitarian, urban-chic style, the Ralph Lauren spring 2017 collection featured both day-to-day staples, such as suit jackets and hybrid harem pants, and ultra refined frocks to wear during the fanciest nights out.
Although he did put more strategically casual items here and there, such as jeans and shirts, the collection’s overall attitude was luxurious, meaning that those who are in the mood for treating themselves to something unapologetically soigné, will definitely find a lot of brilliant ideas in this collection.
Photos courtesy of Vogue
If you’ve started shopping around for some new outerwear for the coming winter season, stop what you’re doing and look at this line ” Ralph Lauren has just launched a capsule collection of 10 iconic wintertime wardrobe pieces available for purchase at RalphLauren.com. The Ralph Lauren winter 2016 outerwear collection is composed of nine outerwear pieces and one pair of pants that are basic without being boring.
A majority of the pieces are staple winter designs with a few tossed in with special detailing to keep things interesting. The subtler outerwear looks are a tweed jacket, a tuxedo, a blazer; these are all professional silhouettes that could be worn just as easily as part of an outfit as it would as outerwear.
A peacoat and a British warmer are present to serve as the more practical options for the winter months, as they are inherently warmer and traditionally used in such a way. A safari jacket and an army field jacket are the perfect lightweight jackets for those days that aren’t quite cold enough for a winter coat, and are super easy to throw on and run out the door.
The final outerwear pieces, an officer’s jacket and a fireman’s coat, are the more aesthetically interesting pieces in the Ralph Lauren winter 2016 capsule collection. The embellishments on the latter make it seem heavy without being burdensome, and the overall look is perfect if you’re looking for that standout piece that will have you looking great and have people asking where you got your jacket, without any loud colors or details detracting from the integrity of the beautifully constructed silhouette.
The officer’s jacket is the slimmer option, and there’s not much to be said in words about this piece; just looking at it gives you the entire garment’s story! It makes for a great accessory in and of itself.
The final piece, a sailor pant, is the only non-outerwear garment in the capsule collection. It’s an interesting toss in, amid the variety of outerwear and nothing more, but we’re honestly just so glad it made it in.
The pants are crisp while being relaxed, with the perfect amount of detailing coming in through the solid buttons framing the top. This is the kind of silhouette that almost feels like a cheat in fashion; they look fabulous on and are oftentimes super comfortable on top of that. So on those days where even getting out of bed seems like a struggle, these will be right there to brighten your day a bit!
The same day-brightening capabilities are also within the other pieces in the collection, though, since they all look stunning. There’s just something so satisfying about seeing nine outerwear pieces side by side, especially when they’re all impeccably crafted and with the perfect amount of embellishments on each.
The campaign for the Ralph Lauren winter 2016 outerwear collection is absolutely stunning to watch as well. It reminds us all of the refreshment that comes with cold, crisp air and all of the best aspects of autumn and winter.
Grace Elizabeth and Romy Sch‚Äö√†√∂‚Äö√†√ánberger are the two models seen strutting their stuff wearing some of these looks through the streets of uptown NYC. Watching these two models perform all sorts of daily activities wearing these cool coats is enough to show us that these looks are simply made to be worn out right now.
The capsule collection is available throughout the year at RalphLauren.com, so there’s no need to wait around or wonder how long they will be there!
Photos courtesy of Ralph Lauren


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Water reserves in Cape Town are dangerously low and the City has issued a critical warning to all users to cut all "non-essential" use of water.
Dam levels continue to decline amid persisting drought and high consumption levels above the City's set targets.
Storage levels are at 21.2%, down 0.8% from a week ago, the City of Cape Town's media office has said. Approximately 10% of the remaining water reserves, however, are unusable which means dam levels are "effectively at 11.2%".
The City's Mayoral Committee is expected to recommend Level 4 water restrictions be implemented from Tuesday which would impose a ban on "all use of municipal water for outside and non-essential purposes".
Come "rain or shine", Mayoral Committee Member for Informal Setllements, Water and Waste Services Xanthea Limberg says the City has reached a point where all consumers must consume less than 100 litres per day. "Stop flushing toilets when not necessary, shower for less than two minutes a day or use a wet cloth for a 'wipe-down'," she said.
According to Water Wise, a single seven-minute shower (using up to 15 litres per minute) would alone require 105 litres.
'Naming and shaming'
The City in February released a list of the 100 highest water consumers in the city whose collective consumption was approximately 25 million litres per month. Some of the highest users were concentrated in affluent areas including Bishop's Court and Constantia.
Total consumption in Cape Town in February had increased to 837 million litres per day above the City's targets of 700 million litres per day.
The current consumption target is now 600 million litres per day and the latest figures, according to the City, show overconsumption of 118 million litres producing total collective usage of of 718 million litres per day.
'Use water only for drinking, washing and cooking'
Limberg says the "only real immediate intervention is to cut usage" and has appealed to individuals and business to urgently reduce consumption.
The City has advised residents to observe the following:
Only flush the toilet when necessary. Don't use it as a dustbin. 'If it's yellow let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down'
Take a short 2-minute shower. A standard (non-water-saving) showerhead can use as much as 16 litres per minute.
Collect your shower, bath and basin water and re-use it to flush your toilet, and for the garden and cleaning. So-called grey water use has some health and hygiene risks you must avoid. Keep hands and surface areas sanitised/disinfected.
Defrost foods in the fridge or naturally rather than placing it under running water.
Use a cup instead of running taps in the bathroom or kitchen, for brushing teeth, shaving, drinking etc.
Wait for a full load before running washing machines and dishwashers. The rinse water from some washing machines can be reused for the next wash cycle.
Switch to an efficient showerhead which uses no more than 10 litres per minute, as per the City's by-law.
Upgrade to a multi-flush toilet and/or put a water displacement item in the cistern which can halve your water use per flush.
Fit taps with aerators or restrictors to reduce flow to no more than 6 litres per minute, as per the City's by-law.
Further information on the City of Cape Town's water restrictions can be accessed on the City's website: www.capetown.gov.za/thinkwater


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On March 9, China Telecom announced its annual performance in 2020, its revenue came in at RMB 393.56 billion, up 4.7% year-on-year. The company made a net profit of RMB 20.85 billion last year, a 1.6% increase from 2019.
The financial report shows China Telecom detailed plans of maintaining an elevated 5G development. It has deployed 380,000 sites in use. The operator has 86.5 million 5G package subscribers in 2020 with a penetration rate of 24.6%. Its mobile subscribers inched up to 351 million with a net increase of 15.45 million. The company plans put in a capex of RMB 39.7 billion to double its total number of base stations to 700,000 and covers all counties and some towns with 5G. Ke Ruiwen, chairman of China Telecom, stated that this year, China Telecom is targeting a net increase of 12 million mobile users, 80 million 5G subscribers and 5 million broadband Internet users.


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agpost wrote: Interesting article about a nation which eats dogs???
I was thinking much the same thing when I first heard of this news story.
2 months ago, a missionary from Korea informed our congregation that dog is still sold and eaten as a "macho" dish that promises vitality and virility to those who consume it!
Even though it's probably too expensive to clone dogs for food, one can easily see a motivation for these people to try to clone many of what this article calls "endangered species", which also happen to be the source of exotic animal extracts and body parts that are in such high demand in many Asian countries.
Interesting article about a nation which eats dogs???
Quote..... "Gaegogi literally means "dog meat" in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. Selling dog meat has been illegal in South Korea since 1984; however, dog farms still exist and some people still eat dog meat." (Wiki)


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The brand is taking over Hoxton's Geffrye Street Studios on 7 September. Jameson Caskmates features notes of coffee, cocoa, butterscotch alongside hops, having been aged in craft beer barrels.
As part of the experience, guests will be guided through a sensory Jameson Caskmates tasting, which includes creating their own Jameson Caskmates drinks as part of a mixology masterclass, as well as getting to try other whiskey and beer cocktails.
Dinner will be served by the Disappearing Dining Club while DJ pair Amp & Deck will also be on hand providing entertainment for the evening.
Jameson has previously hosted activations to celebrate St Patrick's Day. A month-long celebration of whisky was held at Heathrow Airport earlier this year.
Comment below to let us know what you think.
For your daily hit of news from the brand experience community, weekly brand and inspiration updates or your monthly trend download, register and subscribe to Event and our bulletins.


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As part of Road Trip 2015, CNET looks at how new skyscrapers are defining a new era in the City by the Bay. The winners: tech. The losers: pretty much everyone else.
Got a killer startup idea to sell? You might want to start lunching at these eateries popular among engineers, CEOs and venture capitalists alike.
The ride-hailing service expands its UberEats feature to the City by the Bay, offering up on-demand gourmet fare.
SanDisk announces its SSD Concierge service to provide consumers with the tools, software and assistance needed to migrate their computer's data from a hard drive to a SanDisk solid-state drive.
The Texas expansion follows up Google Fiber's announcement last month to bring free Internet access to public housing residents.
The microblogging site aims to compete against Facebook, Apple and Google for developer mind share.
Steampunk "Star Wars!" A sewer full of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!" Hordes of "The Walking Dead!" See these and more talented cosplayers strike a costumed pose at San Diego Comic-Con.
San Francisco's board of supervisors votes to amend the bill passed last October legalizing short-term accommodation rentals.
In San Diego, it's hard to escape Comic-Con's massive presence (not that we'd want to). Here are some scenes from around the convention center.
From supervillains to superheroes, fans at the famed convention show off their creativity with impressive costumes that bring to life all those characters that started on paper.


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A bottle of whisky described as "the most sought-after" in the world has sold for a record £2.1m at auction.
The Macallan Adami 1926 sold during a bidding war at Sotheby's in London on Saturday, marking the most that has ever been paid for a bottle of wine or spirits in an auction house.
Only 40 bottles of the whisky were ever produced in 1986, and had been aged in sherry casks for 60 years.
Twelve of the bottles, including the one sold on Saturday, had labels designed by Italian artist Valerio Adami.
The previous auction record was held by a bottle of Macallan Adami 1926 from the same cask, changing hands for £1.5m.
Head of spirits at Sotheby's, Jonny Fowle, said the sale was "nothing short of momentous for the whisky industry".
The bottle sold on Saturday is the first to have been reconditioned by the distillery before it went to auction, which included replacing the cork and applying fresh glue to the corner of the labels.
In total, £2,187,500 was paid for the bottle, which included the buyer's premium on top of the £1.75m sale price.
It was an increase on the estimate of between £750,000 and £1.2m.
For people wanting to know what a whisky worth more than £2m tastes like, Macallan's master whisky maker Kirsteen Campbell said it had notes of "rich dark fruits, black cherry compote alongside sticky dates, followed by intense sweet antique oak".
She added: "Dark chocolate, treacle, ginger… the notes go on and on.
"It was a very special moment to experience the opening of this iconic 60-years-old single malt, first bottled 37 years ago, and I hope the new custodian will enjoy the same privilege."


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Image courtesy of Phonearena.com
Ice Universe has recently tweeted out stating the the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is expected to be thinner at only 7.8mm thickness, as compared to the currently available Galaxy S9 which is thickest at 8.5mm. With such a thin device, it’s still surprising to see it come equipped with a rather large battery capacity of up to 4000mAh.
Not only that but the tweeter also stated that the Galaxy S10, as well as the S10 Plus, will both come with 3 cameras in total due to the similarities in the casings for the devices mentioned. The upcoming smartphones should come with a higher megapixel camera sensor as well as an improved variable aperture feature. But that’s not all, optical image stabilisation, as well as an upgraded 4K video capability, a feature called “Bright Night” and “Stage Lighting” is also expected to make their debut on the upcoming phone.
Last but not least, Samsung plans to bundle the Galaxy S10 series with a revised AKG earbuds in the box. While there is no official news on the specs on the earphones. We can expect more news about as we move closer towards the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S10 series. As always with leaks like these, take every bit of information with a grain of salt and for more updates like this, stay tuned to TechNave.com.


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The conventional notion of what enterprise IT should be is changing. The once dominant and long standing enterprise technology providers are finding themselves competing or partnering with younger, more consumer-friendly brands as a way to keep up with user demand and behaviour – from the employee right up to the senior level executives.
One of the ‘considered’ consumer brands voyaging into the enterprise is Apple – who have been running for almost a year now its solution, AppleCare for Enterprise, which provides business customers with 24/7 phone support, priority repairs, a dedicated account manager and on-call technical experts to keep devices running seamlessly.
Apple also partnered with IBM as a provider for this service which further highlights their commitment to businesses.
This move is another example of how today’s office environment has become a bundle of disparate firms and products, where employees are opting for the devices they are most comfortable with to conduct their business.
Whether the lines between business and leisure devices have become less defined, the current situation has certainly created a climate by which the best of both worlds can come together to form a hybrid model that will work for everyone.
Open season for technology
Consumers haven’t always had a say in the technology used in enterprise until the arrival of concepts such as BYOD and CYOD, where employees impacted the choice of technology for the first time.
The growing familiarity of many consumers with a range of devices means that they are increasingly empowered to make recommendations to IT on what they find easy and quick to use.
These recommendations, which are becoming a key feature, are born from the equipment they are comfortable using in their day to day lives, and so inevitably consumer technology firms are increasingly being recommended and sought after by consumers in the workplace.
In fact, the pressure for BYOD often came from the boardroom when CEOs began bringing in their shiny new devices and challenging the CIO to find a way to make their tech interact with the company’s business IT systems and apps.
What the CEO wants, the CEO gets and who would say no to the CEO! Once the device was tried and tested, the CEO would demand the same access for his employees to help reduce costs and increase productivity.
Everything tastes better at home
Another prevalent reason for the growing popularity of consumer technology in enterprise has come from the employees’ expectations of how they use their smart devices at home and how they wish to bring that ease of use into the workplace.
Consumer firms have been very effective at providing regular updates, appealing aesthetics, seamless functionality and efficient customer service.
These traits are born from existing in an ultra-competitive environment that is always open to competitors launching rival services. Companies such as Google and Apple are able to use their experience in competing in these environments to great effect in the enterprise, showing that although they may be new to this sector, they are more than adept at knowing how to keep people – in this case employees – happy.
One request, two request, three request, four: keeping pace is a challenge
In the past, requests from employees were easier to facilitate as they often came from a specific department such as the creative design team who wished to use Mac for graphic design. The department may have been anything from a handful of employees to dozens of teams.
Now wide-scale popularity has meant Apple has become the device of choice for many, with research showing that 98% of companies currently support iOS, and employees across all departments are calling for the chance to use Mac, iPad and iPhone to work efficiently.
Dealing with all these requests has required the enterprise to find a way to implement a more robust and scalable device management scheme to support a variety of needs, from patching of common software such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite, to software restrictions that ensure all new software can be tested before being deployed. It has also placed more attention on how device and application roll out can be made scalable to follow the business as it grows.
Has pace become a challenge?
Enterprise IT could be viewed as more predictable owing to the longstanding licensing and contracts deals and difficulties in replacing whole infrastructures due to vendor lock-ins, but the introduction of disruptive technology has meant that adoption can take place more quickly via a plug and play approach.
Businesses no longer have time to procrastinate over software upgrades or the devices coming in and must now look to management systems that can seamlessly integrate these changes and devices at the click of a button. This is essential since some consumer technology develops applications and upgrade every six months.
To ease the pressure of keeping pace, intelligent device management software solutions can be implemented that enables employees to be more self-sufficient in installing upgrades and applications onto their devices, whilst remaining under the policies of the company.
Wider scale rollouts at the click of button, also help IT teams to deploy software quickly – this is essential in order to respond as necessary to increasing threats and regulations that are emerging from privacy and protection concerns.
A future for all
The enterprise space is changing every day and with it are the changing perceptions of technology companies. Firms that were once considered consumer are becoming as relevant inside the company walls as outside of them.
These firms are using their immense popularity with employees to help shape the culture of IT and pave the way for a more inclusive, user friendly, flexible infrastructure. As a result, IT is facing a new dawn of expectation in being able to feed demand and manage this new culture.
Sourced from Tad Johnson, CMO, JAMF Software


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A number of traders raised concerns over strict laws imposed on businessmen and challenges they face at the Abreshum border with Iran which has caused “unprecedented” stagnation in cross-border trade.
According to them, both the Taliban and Iranian governments create obstacles around trade on both sides of the border. They say trade volume through the Abreshum crossing has dropped by 70 percent compared to last year.
Mohammad Sediq Noorzahi, a trader in Nimroz, told Amu that traders in the province face many problems from both sides of the border and the two sides do not pay attention to resolving the problems.
Among their problems are the “rise in the price of goods in Iran, the inspection of shipments and the excessive strictness at Abreshum bridge by the Iranian government.
“They keep the cargo across the border and in some cases goods are being damaged which causes losses to the traders,” Noorzahi said.
He also said that the rent of trucks at the Abreshum border is much higher compared to Farah and Herat borders, “because at the borders of other provinces, they charge lower tariffs, but at the Abreshum border they (customs officers) charge a huge amount in tariffs. The Iranian side charges Afghan traders for land use, and insurance, that’s why the rent of vehicles is high.”
He added that to rent a truck costs between 100,000 afghanis ($1111) and 120,000 afghanis ($1334) from the Iranian side to the Afghanistan side – the distance is one kilometer – at the border.
“During the republic government, customs tariffs were 70 percent, and traders used to import more goods into the country, but after the Taliban took over, the tariffs mounted to 100 percent; therefore, traders import fewer goods, and for this reason, trade has stagnated,” Noorzahi said.
Amrullah Tajik, another trader who has been importing food items via the Abreshum border for 7 years, told Amu TV that tariffs on commercial goods increased by 100 percent compared to the period under the former government and “the government of Iran also takes a lot of money from Afghan vehicles – for many excuses that put pressure on the Afghan traders. Currently, traders import 30 percent of their shipments via the Abreshum border.”
According to him, the Iranian government charges 30,000 afghanis ($334) for the trucks that transit to Iran.
He added that Iranian forces have put strict measures on Afghan shipments following the recent border clashes between the Taliban and Iranian forces.
Regarding high transportation rates, Tajik said that the fees through the Farah border is 60,000 to 70,000 AFN, which is a 120 km stretch but in Nimroz it is up to 120,000 AFN for one to two kilometers through the Abreshum border.
According to Tajik, the Iranian government implements double standards for Nimroz and the other provinces – Farah and Herat – that share borders with Iran.
He added there are a lot of challenges at the Abreshum border; for instance, Afghan drivers are not allowed to fill their vehicles with Iranian fuel at the border while it is free at the two other borders.
Najibullah Khashrudi, the CEO of Nimroz chamber of commerce and investment, said that he shared the problems with the relevant Afghan customs department and Karami, the governor of Iranian Sistan and Balochistan province two weeks ago. According to him, a 26-article memorandum of understanding was signed between the two sides, allowing 600 vehicles to transit through the Abreshum border daily.
Khashrudi stated: “A container is being loaded with 20 types of materials. We need to describe all goods separately in order to put tariffs on them. But the merchant should not suffer a loss, only the label of the cartons should be controlled.”
He stated that the Iranian government has been creating obstacles for Afghan traders; “the transit process is slow on Iran’s side. Moreover, weapons and drugs are being smuggled via the border therefore, Iranian forces have increased checking.”
A source meanwhile said the Iranian government has breached the agreement and reduced the number of vehicles from 600 to 300 through the border crossing a day. The source also said that the Iranians charge $3,500 from Bandar Abbas to Milk land port, while the same cargo to Farah and Herat borders costs only $1,000.
The source added, traders have held many meetings with the Taliban officials to solve their problems and are now hoping to meet with Iranian authorities to resolve issues.


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Innocent Chukwuma, the chairman of Innoson Vehicle Manufacturing Company, has criticized the media attacks on Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State, for his recent acquisition of 20 vans of the Toyota brand for the state's security services.
When visiting the governor of Abia State, Alex Otti, on Friday in Nvosi, Isiala Ngwa South LGA, Chukwuma made this statement and referred to Otti as the brand's top promoter.
“He’s the number one marketer of Innoson. Most of the vehicles bought by the government in this state, Abia, are Innoson vehicles and they are happy with the vehicles.”
Otti was appreciated for his continuing patronage and assistance.
In response to the current uproar that Otti chose Toyota over Innoson Motors, Chukwuma defended the governor by claiming that Otti had placed an order for 20 security pick-up vans from his business, which the government desperately needed but which were not available at the time because Innoson had run out of stock.
He pointed out that the governor's decision to choose another brand may have been influenced by his company's inability to produce the 20 vehicles in time, which Chukwuma said shouldn't bring Otti any criticism.
He also used the visit to announce his company's plans to establish a compressed natural gas or GNG, plant in Abia for use by diesel and gasoline vehicles.
Upon meeting the business tycoon, Governor Otti pledged to continue supporting the Nigerian automaker and revealed that his administration had already bought no less than 40 cars from Innoson.
He further stated that plans were being made to acquire additional vehicles, including 24 automobiles for the Abia State House of Assembly members.
When the Governor informed the Innoson Chairman that his official vehicle was still pending from his business, the automaker swiftly assured him that it would be delivered by the following week.
He told IVM that the Abia State government was ready to collaborate with the company and that the efforts will help the State's economy thrive while also giving youth in Abia access to employment opportunities.


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The Industrial Entrepreneur Confidence Index in Brazil rose to 57.4 in July 2019 from 56.9 in the previous month, boosted by an improvement in expectations over the next six months regarding the company's situation (63.4 from 63.1 in June) and the country's economic situation (59.6 from 58.7). In addition, the gauge measuring the current economic situation increased to 45.4 from 44.9 a month earlier, while the company's current situation deteriorated (47.8 from 49.0). Among sectors, confidence strengthened among constructors (58.7 from 57.0) and miners (58.3 from 54.3), but declined among manufacturers (56.9 from 57.1). Business Confidence in Brazil averaged 54.13 Index Points from 2004 until 2019, reaching an all time high of 68.50 Index Points in January of 2010 and a record low of 35 Index Points in October of 2015.
Business Confidence in Brazil is expected to be 58.00 Index Points by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. Looking forward, we estimate Business Confidence in Brazil to stand at 62.00 in 12 months time. In the long-term, the Brazil Business Confidence is projected to trend around 65.00 Index Points in 2020, according to our econometric models.


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Brits have decided to look but not touch when it comes to online gaming, a survey claims.
One in five UK Net users, or 2,400,000 people, visited a games site during December, but only 194,000 actually took part in one of the games (one in twelve).
Americans came out with a slightly better average – 28 per cent of them logged onto games sites in the same month (23,814,000 users) with more than 4,800,000 playing online (one in six).
The most popular US games site was uproar.com, with more than 4,500,000 unique visitors. Commissioner.com was the stickiest site – users spent an average of 129.7 minutes on the site each month. UK players favoured gamesdomain.com, with 234,230 visitors.
The survey, by research company NetValue, also found US gamers were less likely to fit the typical IT geek profile – in Europe the average gamer is a young male (in the UK 98 per cent are men, and 65 per cent are under 24). Things are different in the US though – nearly half the gamers there are women, while only one in five under 24. In Germany 59 per cent are students, compared to just 17 per cent in the US.


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November 11, 2005
The 14th annual Senior Center Crafts sale is underway.
Each year, Senior Center residents spend hours crafting unique items to sell. Their items include paintings, jewelry and toys. All of the proceeds go towards the Senior Center. Last year they made over $6,000.
If you're interested in going, the sale is open on Saturday from 10 p.m. -5 p.m. at the Senior Center.


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Battleborn and Overwatch are the two biggest players in the competitive arena shooter category. And the competition between the two is something that’s been publicized a lot lately. The latest bit of news? The price of Battleborn has dropped to $40 at many major brick-and-mortar and digital retailers, just ahead of the release of Overwatch according to Kotaku. Coincidence? Probably not.
Battleborn was released earlier this month, getting a bit of jump on Overwatch. However, Blizzard made their own strategic move by releasing the beta for Overwatch on Battleborn’s release date. Both Gearbox Software and Blizzard Entertainment, Battleborn and Overwatch developers respectively, have been pretty vocal about their games. That’s not surprising considering the saturation of games in the genre. But Gearbox and Blizzard have a leg up on the competition simply because of how loud they are from a publicity standpoint.
The Battleborn price drop is not the first time Gearbox has made a jab at Overwatch. At PAX East earlier this year, an uber vehicle dressed up like an Overwatch character was involved in an accident. Nobody was hurt, but guess who was the first to broadcast the news to the world? A Gearbox employee.
We haven’t seen any other jab from Blizzard, but their marketing campaign for Overwatch is in high hear. Late last week, giant “action figures” of Overwatch characters popped up in various places around the world.
It will be interesting to see which of the games comes out the winner in terms of sales and player reception. We’ve already reviewed Battleborn here at Pixelkin, and our Overwatch review will be coming tomorrow.


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Google has released its annual report detailing the type and number of ‘bad ads’ they remove from their platform.
This report demonstrates how far Google has come in its work to remove violating ads and improve its policies and processes around ads that violate its terms. Ultimately, this will improve consumer experiences and discourage fake news and intolerance.
Key stats are below:
– In 2017, Google took down more than 3.2 billion ads
– Google removed 320,000 bad publishers from their ad network, and blocked nearly 90,000 websites and 700,000 mobile apps for policy violations
– Google added 28 new advertiser policies and 20 new publisher policies to combat new threats and improve the ads experience online
– This included policies against misrepresentative conduct and forms of discrimination and intolerance beyond hate speech protections
In 2018 they will add policies addressing ads in unregulated, overly complex, or speculative financial products like binary options, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange markets and contracts for difference (or CFDs)
How Google took action against violating ads in 2017
In 2017, they took down more than 3.2 billion ads, up from 700 million in 2015. That’s more than 100 bad ads per second.
Specific Actions against Violating Ads:
Scraping: In 2017, they blocked over 12,000 websites for “scraping”, duplicating and copying content from other sites, up from 10,000 in 2016.
Tabloid Cloaking: Google suspended more than 7,000 AdWords accounts for tabloid cloaking violations, up from 1,400 in 2016.
Malicious Activity: They removed more than 130 million ads last year for trying to abuse our ad network through malicious activity or by attempting to trick and circumvent our ad review processes.
Malware: They blocked 79 million ads on our network for automatically sending people to malware-laden sites, and removed 400,000 of these unsafe sites.
Trick to Click: Google blocked 66 million “trick to click” ads and 48 million ads that were attempting to get users to install unwanted software.
How Google removed the economic incentives for sites to create and spread deceptive content online.
In 2017, They removed 320,000 bad publishers from our ad network, and blocked nearly 90,000 websites and 700,000 mobile apps for policy violations.
Google introduced new technology – called page-level enforcement – that allows us to remove Google ads from over 2 million URLs each month.
Impact of Ads Policies:
Last year, Google added 28 new advertiser policies and 20 new publisher policies to combat new threats and improve the ads experience online.
Dangerous and Derogatory: After launching an expanded policy in April 2017 to cover forms of discrimination and intolerance beyond hate speech protections, they removed Google ads from 8,700 pages.
Misrepresentative content: In a single month in 2016, Google reviewed more than 1,200 sites for suspected violations of our new misrepresentative content policy — blocking 340 of those sites and terminating 200 publishers. The following year, they reviewed over 11,000 websites for potentially violating this same policy — most in the first six months of the year. Of these 11,000 websites, Google blocked more than 650 websites and terminated 90 publishers from our ad network.
Looking ahead for 2018
This year, Google are adding several new policies that will address ads in unregulated, overly complex, or speculative financial products like binary options, cryptocurrency, foreign exchange markets and contracts for difference (or CFDs).
They have already updated our gambling policies to address new methods of gambling with items that have real-world value (e.g., skins gambling).


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Android hasn’t been the best platform for tablet users over the years, but Google has promised to change that. It looks like the company is delivering on that promise, as it’s optimizing more than 20 Google Apps for tablets. Now, the Google Play Store is getting its overdue tablet optimizations.
We’ve known about Google’s vow to improve the Android tablet experience since the company announced Android 12L last year. Now, we know that the company is developing a Pixel tablet and will launch it sometime next year. That let us know that Google really is serious about fixing the tablet experience on Android.
The Play Store tablet optimizations are finally coming
Google has been working on optimizing its apps for tablets, and we’ve seen the fruits of its labor. Now, the company is turning its eyes toward the Play Store. According to 9To5Google, the latest version of the Google Play Store (version 32.5.16-21) brings some notable changes to the app’s interface.
The changes to the interface aren’t too significant. The buttons are still on the left side of the screen and the tabs and search bar are at the top. The Google Play icon on the top left no longer has the “Google Play” text, and the selected buttons are enclosed in a small oval, not a long pill. The play points, notifications, and profile button are on the top right of the screen.
The main change is the use of space. The buttons are further down on the screen and they’re a bit bigger to occupy more space. Also, the app icons are notably bigger. Other than that, there aren’t any other major changes.
This isn’t a massive overhaul, but it makes the interface more pleasing for tablet users. When the Pixel Tablet launches next year, it will use these optimized Google apps right out of the box. Until then, Android users can get a glimpse of how the interface will look for that device.


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Holidaymakers were charged thousands of pounds extra for cruises they had already paid for late last week, thanks to problems with a payment provider that serves three major cruise firms.
Customers of P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises and Cunard who had already paid for their holidays by card were charged again.
The social media accounts of the cruise lines have been bombarded by angry customers, some of whom said they had been left in a precarious financial position as a result.
Some customers had booked expensive cruises costing thousands of pounds.
A Facebook user called Paul Scott wrote on P&O's page that, after he paid £5,000 in March for a cruise, he was left £1,000 overdrawn after the attempted collection of another £5,000 payment.
On Cunard's Facebook page, another user, Sharon Hall, said a £3,018 charge had sent her into a £500 unarranged overdraft, which had prevented her from paying for shopping and threatened scheduled direct debit payments.
Customers also demanded to know why their payment details had been retained despite the fact that they had already paid for their cruises in full.
The firms' payment provider, Elavon, has been blamed for the mistake, which the cruise lines called a “one-off technical error” in a joint statement.
“Refunds are being processed and we are working with Elavon to investigate. Any charges incurred by guests as a result of this issue will be refunded. We apologise to those who were affected by this error," the statement said.
When asked how many customers had been affected, a spokesman refused to comment, but hundreds have taken to social media to complain.
- Have a question for our experts? Email firstname.lastname@example.org


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(Bloomberg) As Salesforce.com Inc. made headlines late last year for considering a Twitter Inc. bid and signaling plans to hit $20 billion in sales, it was also attracting the attention of some new—and potentially agitated—investors.
Three hedge funds, who are sometimes activists, took stakes in Salesforce in the three months ended Dec. 31, according to regulatory filings Tuesday. Keith Meister’s Corvex Management amassed 3.45 million shares, Barry Rosenstein’s Jana Partners acquired 3.17 million, and Scott Ferguson’s Sachem Head Capital Management bought 2.13 million.
Combined, the funds own a stake in Salesforce valued at about $708 million, based on the closing price Tuesday of $80.92. The San Francisco-based company has a market value of about $57 billion.
Representatives for Salesforce, Corvex and Sachem Head declined to comment. A representative for Jana didn’t respond to a request for comment.
The moves come after the company faced investor concerns about its acquisition strategy—including the interest in Twitter. In September, the troubled social-media service held informal talks with potential suitors, with Salesforce one of the main parties interested in a deal, according to people familiar with the matter. The transaction would’ve been a large one for the business software provider to swallow: Twitter’s market valuation at the time was about $16 billion, or about a third of the whole of Salesforce’s.
The interest cooled off after shareholders questioned the wisdom of such a purchase, which had already rattled the company’s shares, the people familiar with the matter said at the time.
Investor concerns about a large deal were further stirred after CEO Marc Benioff in November said on a analysts’ call it was his “dream” to double the company within the next three to four years, according to analysts at Cowen & Co. Some investors may have thought acquisitions were needed to drive that much growth, the analysts said, though they downplayed those worries.
Salesforce had forecast in November revenue of $8.365 billion to $8.375 billion for fiscal year 2017 that ended Jan. 31. For fiscal year 2018, it projected $10.1 billion to $10.15 billion. During the call, Benioff also said the next goal for the company was for $20 billion in sales.
The stakes taken by the new investors are small, and won’t necessarily be used to agitate for change. Shares in Salesforce are trading close to their all-time high of $83.77, hit on May 27. In 2015, when Salesforce hired bankers to help it field interest from potential suitors including Microsoft, the stock traded around $66 a share.
Meister, who previously worked for billionaire activist investor Carl Icahn, formed Corvex at the end of 2010. He has most recently been active at pipeline operator Williams Cos., online radio service Pandora Media Inc., and fast food chain Yum! Brands Inc.
Sachem’s Ferguson is also the protege of a famed activist, working under Bill Ackman at Pershing Square Capital Management before leaving in 2012 to start Sachem Head. He’s recently targeted Autodesk Inc., with Sachem’s board representatives at the maker of design software stepping down just last week.
Jana holds activist stakes in magazine publisher Time Inc. and industrial distributor HD Supply Holdings Inc. While most of New York-based Jana’s investments aren’t activist, it’s those campaigns that often attract the most attention.
Salesforce gives its next financial report at the end of this month. In its last update, the company said sales grew 25% to $2.14 billion in the quarter ended Oct. 31. Still, that was below the rate of more than 30% as recently as the first half of 2015. Its adjusted operating margin declined slightly to 12.7%.
Last year, Salesforce acquired e-commerce software company Demandware, which became the basis for its new Commerce Cloud suite of e-commerce software. Last fall, Salesforce launched the Lightning Bolt software platform for building customer-facing e-commerce sites on top of its CRM software.
Sign up for a free subscription to B2BecNews, a twice-weekly newsletter that covers technology and business trends in the growing B2B e-commerce industry. B2BecNews is published by Vertical Web Media LLC, which also publishes the monthly business magazine Internet Retailer.
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The Semiconductor Industry Association released its global sales report for September today.
“Worldwide sales of semiconductors in September once again achieved a new high as electronic equipment manufacturers geared up for the fourth-quarter holiday season,” said George Scalise, president of the Semiconductor Industry Association [SIA]. “Global chip sales rose to $21.4 billion, an increase of 9.3 percent from September 2005, and a 4.2 increase from the $20.5 billion reported in August 2006. Strong demand for consumer products, including cell phones, MP3 players, and personal computers were major drivers of increased chip sales.
While high-single digit growth would be considered solid for most industries, the report is negative for three reasons:
1. Most tech investors tend to hope for something higher.
2. The growth rate has slowed for two consecutive months.
3. Semiconductor companies continue to expand capacity at a much higher rate than sales, as we have noted before, and which the chart below illustrates.


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West Chester Capital Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) during the 4th quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The institutional investor bought 12,151 shares of the footwear maker’s stock, valued at approximately $734,000. Nike comprises about 0.7% of West Chester Capital Advisors Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 27th largest holding.
Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in NKE. Amalgamated Bank raised its holdings in Nike by 2.0% in the third quarter. Amalgamated Bank now owns 159,323 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $8,261,000 after buying an additional 3,189 shares during the period. Stifel Financial Corp raised its holdings in Nike by 3.9% in the third quarter. Stifel Financial Corp now owns 1,319,016 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $68,428,000 after buying an additional 49,251 shares during the period. Sun Life Financial INC raised its holdings in Nike by 23,747.5% in the second quarter. Sun Life Financial INC now owns 9,539 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $563,000 after buying an additional 9,499 shares during the period. Sather Financial Group Inc purchased a new position in Nike in the second quarter valued at approximately $9,275,000. Finally, Capital Bank & Trust Co raised its holdings in Nike by 63.7% in the third quarter. Capital Bank & Trust Co now owns 653,742 shares of the footwear maker’s stock valued at $33,897,000 after buying an additional 254,372 shares during the period. 65.76% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
In other news, insider Eric D. Sprunk sold 226,040 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $63.10, for a total transaction of $14,263,124.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now owns 165,591 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,448,792.10. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Monique S. Matheson sold 10,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Friday, December 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $65.00, for a total transaction of $650,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 23,248 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,511,120. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 1,057,896 shares of company stock valued at $68,424,217. Corporate insiders own 3.90% of the company’s stock.
Nike (NYSE:NKE) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, December 21st. The footwear maker reported $0.46 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.40 by $0.06. Nike had a net margin of 11.13% and a return on equity of 31.64%. The company had revenue of $8.55 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.39 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.50 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. sell-side analysts expect that Nike Inc will post 2.26 EPS for the current year.
The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Monday, March 5th will be issued a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.19%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 2nd. Nike’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 34.63%.
NKE has been the topic of several research reports. Vetr lowered shares of Nike from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $58.81 price target on the stock. in a report on Friday, November 17th. Robert W. Baird reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $65.00 price objective on shares of Nike in a research note on Friday, November 17th. HSBC lowered shares of Nike from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and lifted their price objective for the company from $58.95 to $62.00 in a research note on Tuesday, November 28th. OTR Global upgraded shares of Nike to a “positive” rating in a research note on Monday, December 11th. Finally, Susquehanna Bancshares reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $57.00 price objective on shares of Nike in a research note on Wednesday, December 13th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, sixteen have assigned a hold rating and twenty-three have given a buy rating to the company. The stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $65.61.
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NIKE, Inc is engaged in the design, development, marketing and selling of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The Company’s operating segments include North America, Western Europe, Central & Eastern Europe, Greater China, Japan and Emerging Markets. Its portfolio brands include the NIKE Brand, Jordan Brand, Hurley and Converse.
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A list they don't want you to know about: five destinations in Helsinki which have been deemed off-limits for President Donald Trump during the 2018 summit.
Finnish interiors brand Feathr has launched a wallpaper to mark the arrival of President Trump and President Putin in Helsinki for the 16th July summit. This special print, ‘Finland Toile’, signals ten traits, like those depicted above, which helped build one of the world's happiest countries.
Joel Willans, creator Very Finnish Problems, discusses Finnish femininity and gender equality with engineer and travel, lifestyle blogger Varpu Pöyry.
Renowned Finnish comedian André Wickström interviews Joel Willans on the backstory of Very Finnish Problems, how Joel ended up in Finland and more.
Are electric vehicles taking off in Finland? Antti Korpelainen of Virta, a car charging company, joins to talk battery tech, long drives to Lapland and more
What is it with Finns, grilled sausages and summer? A survey about Finnish summertime sausage eating habits from insights company Crowst reveals all.
Some people never learn: Former UKIP mastermind Nigel Farage held up a silly sign. Let's find out how the internet has exploited this using Photoshop.
Britain clearly loves xenophobia, lies printed on buses, isolationism and... pubs. Why not combine all of the above as the best post-Brexit UK has to offer?
In Finland, the weather usually takes a quick turn from summer to... something else. Be sure to catch some ruska autumn colors before everything turns grey.


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As part of a recent lecture in Paris, Quantum Break developer Remedy Entertainment released some prototype footage from the time-bending Xbox One game that shows off what it looked like in an in-development state. DualShockers attended the lecture and published the video below, which is made up of footage "mostly" from around 2012. Note, too, that the video contains a mixture of prototypes. Check it out:
The footage you see in this video was apparently created at Microsoft's request, as part of the company's greenlighting process.
The library section shown in the video made it into the final version of Quantum Break, though Remedy said the finished version is "quite different" from the prototype stage. Also on display in the video are the early versions of Quantum Break's "junction moments" and time-bending mechanics.
DualShockers also reports that Remedy Creative Director Sam Lake talked about the Quantum Break franchise overall, and how the team has an idea for a story that would cover "much more" than one game. At the same time, Lake mentioned that Quantum Break's story is all about main character Jack's hero journey and said that this comes to a "very conclusive" end in the game.
"Lake then clarified that nothing can be said for sure, because in this industry it's impossible to know beforehand how things will shape up, and when it's a good moment to continue with an IP, if ever," DualShockers reports.
Quantum Break was originally scheduled to launch on Xbox One in 2015. However, it was later delayed and is now due to arrive in April 2016. The game story is told across the game and a TV show, the latter of which stars "X-Men"'s Shawn Ashmore and Dominic Monaghan from "The Lord of the Rings."


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Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed on Saturday alleged that the global retailers of Bangladeshi garment products put new conditions once previous ones are met in the name of ensuring safety in the country’s largest export industry.
“Buyers keep coming up with new demands and say ‘do these’ etc. Motive of these stuff is to create pressures on the manufacturers,” he said while addressing the inaugural ceremony of “Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh” as the chef guest in Dhaka.
“Now the Accord wants to look into the labour rights. That is not their job. The Ministry of Labour and Employment is there to look after that. There is a law like Bangladesh Labour Act 2013,” Tofail said.
“Whatever is needed to ensure workers’ rights will be done in accordance with the country’s law.”
Tofail said: “During visits to garment factories with ambassadors, I talked to workers about the trade unions. They (the workers) said they don’t want interference of the outsiders in this issue.” “But there are some trade union leaders who would like to speak against the country.”
Commerce minister said the propaganda goes on about the country’s garment industry which is the second largest supplier of RMG products in the international market. “India aspires to take over us and be the second in position of global RMG suppliers.”
He urged the trade union leaders to be “patriots and work for the branding of the country.” “If our garment sector is in trouble, our workers will be the losers.”
The “Digital RMG Factory Mapping in Bangladesh” project is aimed at mapping of the ready-made garment factories in Bangladesh digitally to provide information about the location, types of factories and products, certification and other related data.
The four-year programme funded by C&A Foundation will be done by Centre for Entrepreneurship Development of Brac University. Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) will act as strategic partner for the programme, which will end in 2021.
Brac University Vice Chancellor Professor Syed Saad Andaleeb, BGMEA President Md Siddiqur Rahman and General Manager of C&A Sourcing Bangladesh Shantanu Singh were also present at the function.
Professor Andaleed stressed the need to conduct research on the future of the garment industry. “Do we know what will be in the RMG sector in next 20 years? But the research can help us anticipate what will happen in future.”
Urging to adopt the changes in the world, Andaleed said the world is “changing dramatically and it will affect our personal and family life, even national life if we do not adopt the changes.”


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Covering the cosmetics market in over 50 countries, Mintel Beauty Innovation will provide in-depth analysis of new product launches as well as expert opinions on new ingredients and claims in the beauty world.
“Beauty innovation will help our clients identify the key areas of opportunity for investment in the beauty industry,” said Mintel CEO Peter Haigh.
“Our expert and exclusive analysis will allow them to improve their product offering in an informed and targeted way, so that they can stay one step ahead of the competition.”
Mintel will unveil the tool at the Beyond Beauty trade show in Paris next week where the market research company will also showcase the latest products that fit under the umbrella of authenticity.
Authenticity is leading trend
Looking at the 57,000 beauty products that have been launched so far this year, Mintel sees authenticity as the key trend.
A more honest approach to personal care is emerging as consumers turn against insincere celebrity culture and traditional beauty marketing claims and ingredients.
Reflecting this trend is the rise of organic, ethical and natural products which accounted for one in seven launches this year compared to one in ten last year.
Cosmetics companies are also looking to the East for inspiration.
Mintel beauty analyst Nica Lewis said: “We have seen beauty products increasingly play on ancient, authentic remedies taken from traditional Chinese and Indian Ayurvidic medicine.
“In fact, these ingredients are now even being used in areas that were once solely associated with science, such as anti-ageing, whitening and sun protection.”
“This, combined with the fact that people are now much more aware of the social, environmental and economic impact of the products they buy, has been a key driver in new product development in 2008.”


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D CEO Releases the 2023 Edition of the Dallas 500
The annual special publication, which profiles the region’s most influential business, civic, and nonprofit leaders, features nearly 200 new names.
Shopping & Fashion
LTK’s Amber Venz Box: From Success to Significance
She was 23 when she pioneered influencer commerce. Ten years and billions in sales later, she’s now upending the service industry with a new social impact venture.
Behind the Scenes of the Dallas 500 Cover Shoot
Pulling off a six-person photography session during a global pandemic wasn’t easy. Here’s how it came together.
Meet The Bold Risk-Takers Honored in EY’s 2020 Entrepreneur of the Year Program
The winners will be unveiled Oct. 7 at the virtual event.
Tech & Startups
Five Things To Do For Your Business Today
BeautyBio CEO Jamie O'Banion shared tips she has learned while running her consumer goods company at Dallas Startup Week 2020.


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A new Line Lite app for Android has been launched by the Japanese company as a lightweight counterpart to the original messaging tool. It’s designed for developing countries that have users with a limited amount of space in their phones and want to consume less data.
The app is less than 1MB in size and takes 1/20th of the time it takes for the older one to install. It retains most of the original applications features, such as group texting, photo-sharing and stickers. People can create a new Line Lite account or carry over their existing membership.
Some tools have been sacrificed for the initial release of the app. Users won’t have access to video and audio calling and Timeline won’t be available either. Line said they will update the application with more features gradually.
Line Lite has kickstarted its first phase by rolling out to 11 countries including India and Mexico. More places will be added based on the demands and requirements of consumers. The company currently has a presence in 230 nations and regions, chalking up 205 million users in a month.
Line expanded its sights beyond messaging last month with the announcement of a streaming music service in its native Japan. The company is the largest social network in the country with over 58 million consumers. The Lite version of the app is not being released there during the initial rollout.
Line Lite is following the footsteps of other lighter versions of apps such as Facebook Lite. It indicates a growing understanding of the challenges faced in such emerging markets, where the masses commonly use low-end devices and have to rely on spotty network coverage to communicate.
The Line Lite app is now live and available for download at the Google Play Store.


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Dangdang.com, a Chinese online book seller, and food and drinks e-commerce company Yihaodian have agreed to sell each other’s products China National Radio reported Thursday, citing the companies. They will use each other’s platform. The partnership is aimed at boosting their capability to meet growing competition in their respective industries. Yihaodian, which has 60 million registered members, posted 11.54 billion yuan (US$1.88 billion) in transaction value last year.
– Contact HKEJ at [email protected]


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Bananas, Bruised but Not Beaten
2 December 2014
At least 1,000 hectares of banana farms in Southern Mindanao have been destroyed so far by Fusarium, a disease with no known cure that organic farming advocates said was aggravated by the practice of monocropping in the region.
The Pilipino Banana Growers and Exporters Association (PBGEA) said Fusarium, also known as Panama disease, had devastated more than 1,000 ha of banana farms as of yesterday.
Madeline Dizon-Marfori, PBGEA chair, said the problem threatens the survival of at least 300,000 families, who are dependent on the banana industry, which could be Mindanao’s top export revenue earner.
In her family’s company for example, Marfori said some people have lost their jobs after about 40 ha of banana farms that showed signs of the disease have been shut down.
Philippines, 22 November 2011
For a long time, Panama disease was just a cautionary tale from the history books: a fungus that wiped out the banana industry in the 1950s, destroying the popular variety of the day, and entire economies with it. The industry bounced back with a new, immune variety, named Cavendish, that soon became just as ubiquitous. If you live in many parts of the world, Cavendish may be the only banana you have ever eaten – and every one you ate was genetically identical. Thus, when a new type of Panama disease appeared that could kill off Cavendish, along with most other banana and plantain varieties, farmers of the world’s favourite fruit trembled again. Growers in the Philippines were hit hard by the strain, with $400 million worth of damage driving many into poverty.
This time, it’s not only big companies and supermarket bananas that are at risk. Today most bananas are eaten in developing countries, and over 400 million mostly poor people depend on the fruit for 15% or more of their daily calories. Their food, their livelihoods and their traditional varieties are also at risk from the disease. In the scramble to save bananas from this incurable fungus, the world is looking to the banana diversity that was long ago eradicated from Cavendish plantations.
A big slice of this diversity can be seen at the Musa International Transit Centre (ITC) in Leuven, Belgium, operated by Bioversity International with the Crop Trust’s support. This is the world’s largest collection of banana, with more than 1,400 edible and wild types, and it’s not a simple operation. The seedless plant has to be conserved as pieces of tissue, which slowly grow back into tiny plants and must be regenerated regularly. An increasing share of the collection is also being frozen to -196°C in liquid nitrogen for the longer term.
Not just an archive on ice, the Transit Centre distributes thousands of these plants to people and research institutions, mostly in banana-growing regions far from Belgium. In fact, about a third of the diversity in the collection is sent out for use every year. This planting material is cleaned of fungi and viruses, free of charge, and carries diverse traits banana growers need.
In the Philippines, Bioversity trialled a more resistant Cavendish relative found in Taiwan. Although the plant grows slower and forms slightly smaller bunches, farmers were pleased to find that it produced a sweet banana that was popular with local buyers and suitable for export. Now researchers are collaborating to test nearly all collected banana diversity for more sources of resistance to the new strain of Panama disease. Thanks to genebanks, the world’s favourite fruit won’t be off the menu any time soon.


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A world without gasoline emissions, the weekly ritual at the pump, and a dependence on an exhaustible commodity: This is the promise of the electric vehicle.
Read This Article
In less than two weeks, the 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander and the 2013 Outlander Sport Limited Edition will be making their North American debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander has done what few crossovers have done before it: Earn an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award.
Should Mitsubishi bring back the Mirage, a compact vehicle last seen on roads stateside a decade ago?


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Apple may have only officially announced their new phone on Sept. 7, but already devotees are asking the ever-important question: What is the most durable iPhone 7 case? Thankfully, the new phone has one major change from its predecessors, finally becoming dust and water-resistant (with some limitations, of course). But with a starting cost of $649, you'll want to do everything you can to keep the iPhone 7 safe.
That case will be protecting a whole host of new features, after all — the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus include a 12-megapixel camera, stereo speakers, and a redesigned home button. For those hoping to use their 6 or 6 Plus case on the new phone, you're out of luck. According to Quartz, Bryan Hynecek, VP of design at accessories company Speck told the outlet that customers will be better off purchasing a new case entirely. He told Quartz that even though the old cases “may appear to fit the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, they won’t correctly fit the new iPhone’s stereo speakers and dual camera system.”
Apple is already predicting the inevitable meltdown in regard to its newly launched, high-gloss "Jet Black" color — Apple is warning customers to get a case immediately, as the polishing process and surface make the phone more susceptible to scratches. While the new color is enticing, it's best to slap a case on that one as soon as possible.
Thankfully, there are already a number of cases available for the iPhone 7, which will officially launch for pre-orders at 12:01 a.m. PT on Sept. 9. Check out some of the best here:
For those wanting to stick with tradition, Apple's new line of iPhone cases may be the way to go. They're made from leather or silicone, and have capability with lightning docks.
You shouldn't have to worry about the safety of your phone in this one. X-Doria cases are military grade and drop tested.
The cases from Roxform offer protection for your phone with some futuristic designs, boasting "rugged" and "predator" designs.
For people wanting to preserve the look of their phone (especially that glossy "Jet Black" finish), a transparent case from Spigen would be the best choice. They offer flexible, see-through cases and even come with a built-in kickstand.
Apparently some people trust themselves enough to place both their wallet and phone in the same place. If that's you, this case may be your best bet. It offers a durable jacket for the phone that opens up to reveal a credit card holder.
Otterbox has always been the case for those seeking the greatest durability. While they were once quite bulky in the name of protection, they've slimmed down over the years and offer a safe, sleek design for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
Caseology gives protection with a modern twist, even pulling inspiration from the James Bond films with their "Skyfall" series.
With the the pre-order launch of the phone coming so soon, it's best to get your case as soon as possible. With the typical high demand and self-described "scratchable" phone, you'll want to get your case immediately.
Images: Apple; Caseology; Otterbox; Amazon (4)


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The new owner of Buffalo Wild Wings has made another addition to the casual chain’s leadership team with the appointment of a chief marketing officer, Coca-Cola and InterContinental Hotels veteran Seth Freeman.
The position is a new one for the wings chain, owner Inspire Brands said. Freeman will be responsible for culinary, digital, advertising and guest experience activities, the company added.
Freeman previously oversaw global marketing for InterContinental’s Holiday Inn brand. He also was involved with the lodging giant’s budget concept, Holiday Inn Express. Both systems are heavily franchised, and encompass about 2,000 locations. About half of Buffalo Wild Wings’ 1,200 locations are franchised.
Freeman’s new employer noted that the Howard and Georgia State University grad worked on design as well as elements of customers’ experience while at InterContinental, where Inspire CEO Paul Brown had also worked.
Inspire was formed through the purchase of Buffalo Wild Wings by Arby’s for $2.9 billion. That deal also brought R Taco, a fast-casual Mexican concept, into the fold. The company has said it intends to amass a collection of restaurant brands, and has cited hotel companies’ multiple-chain portfolios as a model of what it hopes to become.
Inspire recently paid The Wendy’s Co. $450 million to purchase the burger franchisor’s 12.3% stake in Arby’s and Buffalo Wild Wings. Wall Street has speculated that Inspire will eventually be spun off from its owner, the private-equity firm Roark Capital, through a public stock offering.
Before joining InterContinental in late 2013, Freeman was senior brand manager of Coca-Cola’s Gold Peak iced tea brand.
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Apple says the software framework will help medical experts analyze health, wellness and better understand modern-day diseases.
Showing results 1 to 20 of 2,574
Apple Watch too pricey for you? Maybe a less expensive Android Wear watch fits your budget better; Google may be working on software to get it working with an iPhone.
Look at the Apple Watch app partners and you'll see one name missing: Google. Although it has Android Wear, Google should get its software on Apple's latest hardware.
Intel said it cut its first quarter outlook because of "weaker than expected demand for business desktop PCs and lower than expected inventory levels across the PC supply chain."
When it preinstalled the Superfish adware on consumer PCs, Lenovo sold its customers out for a pittance, but it still hasn't had to disclose how much it received. Maybe it's time for a Truth in Labeling act to shine a light on this dark corner of the PC market.
That was fast. Roughly 24 hours after news emerged that an unknown number of Lenovo PCs were infected with potentially dangerous software, Microsoft released a tool that automatically removes the offending code. [Updated]
As we look at how software will be evolving, traditional PC applications and mobile apps have some substantial differences, key among them the depth and flexibility traditional applications offer that are often an anathema to mobile users.
Apple doesn't attend the CES, but was in the news this week. Apple offers an unlocked iPhone, a theory behind the buggy software of late, and a CEO predicts Apple Watch will be a killer.
Lenovo, HP, and Dell are increasing their collective dominance of the PC market, with Apple as the only threat. So how are the three big OEMs coping with sweeping changes in the computing landscape?
It looks like Apple has a serious problem when it comes to software quality, and it is something that the company needs to address if it wants to avoid a backlash.
In addition to showing media files and running games from the Google Play store, the micro-console can make use of Razer's new Cortex: Stream software to stream PC games -- but at an additional cost.
Apple's software quality is put under the microscope and one line of thinking is that marketing is driving the bus. There are simpler reasons that make more sense.
The computer giant wants to bring Windows to the masses again -- in the form of a tiny desktop box.
If you're willing to look, there are some excellent tech gadgets and gifts out there that don't require a second mortgage.
Ahead of the launch of the Apple Watch, due sometime early next year, Apple has made WatchKit available to developers who want to create apps for the new platform.
In a bid to shore up security under the gaze of the FTC, Snapchat has decided a ban on all third-party apps is the best solution.
Looking to snap up a new PC, tablet or free downloads? Check out this selection of the best deals we've seen so far.
PC sales are declining - despite the end-of-XP support bump - while Mac sales were up 18 percent in Q2 and 21 percent in Q3 of 2014. Why isn't the Mac declining along with Windows PCs?
Apple's iOS 8 includes support for advanced text input software. Matthew has six alternatives installed, so take a look to see which might work best for you.
Let the iPad tablet holiday pricing war begin.
The best of ZDNet, delivered
- 1 Perfectly legal ways you can still get Windows 7 cheap (or even free)
- 2 34 ways to improve your iPhone's battery life
- 3 How much does an iPhone 6 really cost? (Hint: It's way more than $199)
- 4 So you have an app idea and want to make a bajillion bucks
- 5 ZDNet Cloud TV: Impact of cloud on HR (highlights)


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Following on the price hike last year for North Americans, Sony has decided to raise the price of PlayStation Plus in various regions within Europe, including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Norway and Italy.
Gamespot is reporting that Sony has been sending out notices to PlayStation Plus subscribers across Europe. Starting August 31st the premium subscription service will go up in various regions across Europe, with the U.K., having to pay £49.99 for the annual fee, up from the £39.99 price point they used to pay. Quarterly prices have also gone up from £14.99 to £19.99, and monthly prices will increase from £5.99 to £6.99.
It's not just the U.K. seeing the price hike in Europe, though. PlayStation Plus subscribers in Spain are seeing hikes as well, with the annual subscription going up from €49.99 to €59.99, and the quarterly prices going up from €19.99 to €24.99. The monthly fees will also raise from €6.99 to €7.99.
Aussies will also get hit by the PlayStation Plus increase, going from $70 to $80 for the annual subscription. The quarterly subscription will go up to $34, and monthly membership will go up to $11.
It's pretty steep pricing, especially given that a lot of PS Plus subscribers have been complaining months on end about the low quality free games being offered across the PS Vita, PS3 and PS4. That's not to mention that out of Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo's online services, the PlayStation Network is the one that goes down the most often, with frequent reports about outages happening throughout the years. 2014 and 2015 were two of the worst years for PSN, with outages happening almost once a month.
Despite the outages and complaints about poor game offerings, Sony raised the price for PlayStation Plus subscriptions in various European and Asian territories back in 2014, and then raised the price for those in the U.K., in 2015. North America saw a price hike just last year in August, with the annual, quarterly and monthly subscription fees going up.
Gamespot reached out to Sony to find out if North Americans would be seeing yet another price hike for the services after enduring one just last year in 2016. However, Sony responded by saying that there were no plans for an announcement regarding any price changes to PlayStation Plus yet.
The service originally sprouted up during the PlayStation 3 era as a way for Sony to compete with Microsoft on the multiplayer front with dedicated profiles and community features. Playstation Network originally started as a free service while Microsoft charged money for Xbox Live.
By the time the PlayStation 4 rolled around, Sony introduced paid fees for accessing the multiplayer in PS4 games. The company has been steadily increasing the price of the multiplayer service.
So far only Nintendo's online network is the only free console multiplayer service... just up until 2018, which is when it will introduce premium fees for accessing multiplayer. Steam, Origin and Battle.net users can still access multiplayer in games for free... for now. European PSN gamers can look for the price hike on PlayStation Plus to take place at the end of August.
Staff Writer at CinemaBlend.
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